Valve action for organs and the like



F. W. SULLIVAN VALVE AC TION FOR ORGANS AND TH flJIKE April 5 1927. 1,623,367

Filed Feb.'4, 1926 Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

UN l T E D ST AT runners w. SULLIVAN, OF'LO$:ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VALVE ACTION FOR ORGANSAN -ID THE LIKE.

Application filed February This invention relates to valve actions and more especially to electrically operated valve actions of the type used, for example, in the modern pipe organ controlled electrically from the console.

Among the important requirements to considered, in the building oivalves of this type, are quick action of the valve, a relatively large flow of; air through the valve at the instant ofopening and low cost of'lnanui'acture, and an object of this invention is to produce a valve action conforming to these requirements. I

A high degree of responsiveness of the valve action is necessary in order to. perfectly respond to the organiststouch on the keys of the console. The attainment of a relatively'large flow of air through the valve at the instant of opening is liighly important in order toavoid a pulilng effect and produce an even tone for, itfa smaller flow, of air pasedby the valve first sounds the note and then the flow is largely'augmented while the note is sounding, the pulling efiect will be noticeable in the note. This invention avoids these objections in a high degree.

Other objects and advantages will appear. in the subjoin-ed detailed description The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation, mainly in'sec-i tion, of a valve action constructed-1inaooordance with the provisions of this invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section,

' "a from the line indicated by 2-2, Eig. 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmental'elevation, partly in section, hour the line indicated" by 3+3, Fig. 1.

Figure li's an enlarged plan view, partly. in section, from the line indicated by 44, F g,-.

Figure 5 isabottom View otllig t Figure 6 is a perspective view of the elecical yp ated va Figure 7 is a perspective view of the electrical-ly-operated valve unit complete ready for a em ling ,wi hithe airche An. ir he t l, is ndi at d n. ve cal on in F g-.1 nd aidches may be made as a: as, ds rd o o accommo a hat rer number o pipes ti sntended to ope ate om aid. he t; Only. very short sect 'on oiij he he t. 1 s ind at d. in F g.2; Air is admitted to the chest llfroma suitable source of compressed air supply through an intake port 12 in one of the endwall's 13 4, 1926. Serial No. 85,84.

of said chest, the other end wall not being shown. in the drawings, owing to the nature of the views, as this construction is well understood in this art.

A transverse duct 14 is provided in; the top Wall 15,0fthe chest and opening from said duct to the interior of the chest is an elongate outlet port 16' controlled by an elongate flap valve 17 which is hinged, in the chest and is exposed to the air pres sure in the chest. Opening upwardly from the duct 14 is an outlet port 18 adapted to connnunicate with the lower end of the pipe, not shown, that is to receive air through said port. The port- 16 is of much greater area than the port 18 as is customary.

The flap valve 17 is controlled by. a hingetype air bellows 19 which may be of any' desired or approved construction, there being an |.;-shapcc arm 20 connecting the bellows with the flap valve 17. The arm 20 projects from the hinge end of the bellows so that said arm together Witlrone of. the side members of the bellows forms a. bellcra-nk. lever, thus enablingthe arm 20 to be applied in suchv manner to, the valve-l7 that the plane of operation .of'said valve isnorreal to the plane of operation. of the bellows for a reason to appear hereinafter, spr ng 21 tends to hold the flap valve 17. closed. Air is admitted to the interior ot the bellows 19 through a duct 22. formed partially in one ot'the side walls23 of the chest and partially in the botto1n24l of said chest. The bellows 19 isexposed[externally to the air pressure in the. chest and it will now appear that, uponthe bellows lQbeing subject-alto equal pressures within and with out, the flap valve l7 willrbe closedby pressure of the spring 21. When, however, air, is exhausted" from the bellows 19- through the duct 22, the air pressure within the air; chest will collapse saidbellowathus operating the arm 20 to openthe flap valve. 1 The outer end of the arm.20 bearsuponthe up? per face of a shoulder 25 that projects from the front edge of the fia-pvalve lf. It is to be noted that the flap valve, 17 is hinged at.

251 to the top Wall 15 along one of the longitudinal edges of said' flap valve, as indicated at 26, and that, in Consequence, said flap valve in. opening and closing; swings, through an are that liesin; a, plane extending transversely of the flap valve. Thead? vantage. of; this, is that, when. the-flap valve.

opens to even a slight degree, the flap valve ion will be spaced along one longitudinal edge thereof from the top wall equally from end to end of the flap valve, thus admitting at the instant of opening of the valve a larger flow of air through the port 16 than it the flap valve were hinged at one end for, in that event, at the instant of opening of the valve the air would onlv be admitted uniformly at one end of the flap valve. Also, the flap valve travels through a shorter arc in its opening and closing movement by being hinged along one longitudinal edge than if it were hinged at one end and thus a iven degree of movement of the bellows produces greater movement of the tree longitudinal edge of the flap valve than it would of the free end oi said valve if said valve were hinged at one end.

A means will now be described for alternately admitting air to and exhausting air from the bellows. The duct 22 communirates through a port 27 with the interior of the chest 11, and said port is controlled by a valve plug 28, the opening movement of which is limited by a. stop 29 fixed at one end in the bottom 24. The valve 28, when open, admits compressed air from the chest to the duct 22 to expand the bellows and thus hold the flap valve 17 closed. These are the normal positions of the flap valve 17 and valve plug 28.

In order to cause the bellows 19 to collapse to open the valve 17, it is necessary to close the valve plug 28 and exhaustair t'rom the duct 22, and such exhaust is accomplished through aport 30 controlled by a diaphragm valve 31. When the valve 31 is open, air exhausts from the duct 22 through the port 30 to the atmosphere. The diaphragm valve 31 rests against the lower end of a. valve stem 48 which connects with the valve plug 23 so that closing movement of the valve 31 will initiate opening movement of the valve plug 28.

The diaphragm valve 31 constitutes a part of an electrically-operated valve unit which is indicated in general by the character 32, said unit being shown intact in Fig. 7 of the drawings. This unit is otherwise constructed as follows: The diaphragm valve 31, of thin leather or the like, is secured at its edges to a body formed, in this instance, by upper and lower plates 33, 34, respectively. The diaphragm valve extends across and closes an opening in the plate 33 and is clamped at its edges between the plates 33, 34. The lower plate 34 is recessed so as to form between said plates an air passage 36 and those portions of the diaphragm valve that are clamped between the plates form an air-tight packing for the joint between the plates. One end of the air passage 36 communicates with a valve chamber 37 formed by recessing the bottom plate 34, and in said chamber is a disc valve 38 adapted in its lower position to close a port 39 formed in the bottom plate 34. The valve 38, in this instance, constitutes an armature as the upper face thereof is mad-e of magnetic metal 40 which is attracted upwardly, to open the port 39, by an eleetro-magnet 41 riveted or otherwise secured to the upper plate 33 and positioned to effect upward movement of the valve 38. lVhen the unit is in place, the electro-magnet 41 is accommodated in an opening 42 which leads from the interior of the valve chest through the bottom wall 24 and through a packing member 43 oi felt or other suitable material which lies between the bottom wall 24 and the upper plate The opening 42 constitutes an air passage or duct. In its upper position the valve 38 closes a port or ports 44 formed in the upper plate 33, sa 1 ports communicating the valve chamber 37 with the passage 42.

The unit 32 is releasably attached in place by any suitable means and, in this instance, said means at one end being a screw 45 pass ing through a slot 49 in one end of each of the plates 33, 34 and into the bottom 24; and said means at the other end being a spring latch 46 secured by a screw 47 to the bottom 24. Thus for repair or replacement of the unit 32, the latch 46 will be sprung and the unit will then be moved to the left in Fig. 1 to bring the slots 36 out of regis tration with the screw 45. The opening 42 is made su'fficiently large to accommodate this movement.

The parts being in the positions shown in Fig. 1, the operation of the invention is as follows: WVith the parts in the position shown, the air pressures in the interior of the chest and in theduct 22 will be equalized, and thus the spring 21 will hold the valve 17 closed. Now assume that the electro-magnet 41 is energized, in the manner well understood in this art, by operation of one of the keys of the console. Upon such energization of the eleetro-magnet 41, the valve 38 will be operated by said electromagnet to close the ports 44 so as to shut oil from the air passage 36 the air pressure of the air chest. This movement of the valve 38 will cause it to uncover the port 39 so as to exhaust air from the air passage 36 to the atmosphere. The greater pressure within the duct 22 will then operate to instantly collapse the diaphragm valve 31, thus reducing the pressure in the duct 22, whereupon the greater pressure in the air chest will close the valve 28 and collapse the bellows 19 which operates to open the valve 17, thus permitting air to flow from the air chest through the port 16, duct 14 and port 18 into the pipe, not shown, that is to be provided with air by energization of the electromagnet.

As soon as the key at the console is released, thus de-energizing the electro-magnet ll, the valve 38 will be operated by gravity to close the port 39 and open the ports 44, thereby restoring relatively high air pressure beneath the diaphragm valve 31 so as to cause said diaphragm valve to close the port 30' and open the valve 28. It will be noted that the effective area of the valve 31 is greater than that of the valve plug 28, so

that equal air pressures in the passage 36 and within the air chest will effect closure of the valve 31 and opening of the valve 28. Upon thus opening the valve 28, air passes from the air chest into the duct 22 to expand the bellows 19, thus closing the valve 17 so as to shut olf air from the pipe.

One of the valve actions employed very largely at the present time employs four valves and twobellows to accomplish what I accomplish with four valves and one bellows, and thus I attain a simplified construction without loss of the great advantages due to the use of a bellows-operated main valve, said main valve being the one that admits the air to the pipe. The particular advantage of employing a bellows-operated valve is quick and sensitive action and relatively great movement. Thus, with the use of a bellows-operated main valve, a relatively small and cheaply constructed electromagnet may be used with a relatively low electric current consumption.

I claim:

1. A valve action of the character described comprising a body having an air passage and having an opening and a valve chamber communicating with the passage, a diaphragm valve closing said opening, there being ports in opposite sides of the valve chamber, a second valve in the valve chamber between said ports formed at least in part of a magnetic metal, and an electromagnet positioned to efiect movement of the second valve to open and close the ports.

2. A valve action of the character de scribed comprising two plates providing an intercommunicating air passage and valve chamber between them, there being an opening in one of the plates, a diaphragm valve closing the opening and having its edges clamped between the plates, there being a port in each plate communicating with the valve chamber, a second valve in the valve chamber between said ports formed at least in part of a magnetic metal, and an electromagnet positioned to effect movement of the second valve to open and close the ports.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 8 day of January, 1926. 1

FRANCIS W. SULLIVAN. 

